The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition that sought directives for an independent and fair investigation into the protests held by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in July. The demonstration, which focused on alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, had previously led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, presided over the matter. The petition had requested the court to mandate that the Centre, the Delhi government, and the Delhi Police conduct a fair inquiry into the FIRs registered during the demonstrations. Furthermore, the plea sought a formal declaration that the police force operates with sovereign and independent duties similar to the judiciary, free from outside interference.
During the hearing, the bench noted that the prayer essentially functioned as a request to review its previous orders. The court had earlier utilized its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to quash specific FIRs related to the protests. Addressing the petitioner's argument regarding police autonomy, the CJI remarked that the court had previously intervened to protect the future of young students involved in such agitations.
The CJP-led movement, which began in June, had demanded accountability for entrance exam irregularities and the resignation of the Education Minister. The agitation gained significant attention following the participation of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who initiated an indefinite hunger strike at the protest site on June 28. The legal proceedings continue to follow the initial police actions taken against the demonstrators during the months-long agitation.
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